I may be a bit old fashioned when it comes to my philosophy on education. And while the jury is still out, I do remain uncomfortably curious about what a Common Core future means to young learners. My initial reaction sees a narrowing of the curriculum, and I feel like lodging complaints like an old…
curriculum
An Extended Fish Analogy
Let’s say you catch a fish. We’ll designate this particular fish as being a westslope cutthroat trout (as seen in the photo) because I am a trout fanatic and they are beautiful fish, but it really doesn’t matter what kind of fish you’re seeing in your head. You’ve caught it. It’s a mature fish. It’s…
Math at the Core
Okay, class, raise your hand if you’re implementing Common Core State Standards for Math this school year. Hmmmm, that’s an impressive show of hands. (I assume.) Here at The Mailbox, we’ve been keeping a close eye on the similarities and changes coming to the upper grades courtesy of Common Core. We’re aligning our upper grades…
Reconnecting the Disconnect
In recent weeks, I have read personal opinion pieces from two major news sources that raised eyebrows. Specifically, my eyebrows. While one writer expressed her opinion that we need to bring home economics back as a key component of the school curriculum, the other writer suggested we simply stop teaching writing. That strange feeling in…
Let the Students Lead?
I’ve just finished reading a thought-provoking newspaper op-ed about a small experiment at a high school in western Massachusetts. A local writer followed a group of high school students (including two kids on the verge of dropping out) as they spent an entire school year planning, writing, and following their own curriculum. The students acted…